IN HUMAN Synonyms: 209 Similar and Opposite Words

inhuman

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən

Definition of inhuman

as in oppressive

difficult to endure kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhuman Immigrants held there and their families have long described the facility as a detention center where complaints were met with beatings, meager meals and inhuman treatment. — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 Powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Despite trying to break glass, rip through the foundation, and forcibly remove the door, something of the supernatural or at least thoroughly inhuman sort is keeping them inside. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 The State Department had designated and sanctioned Ghezel Hesar Prison in 2024 for gross human rights violations and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhuman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman

Adjective

The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro resigned Wednesday following an investigation into a complaint alleging the workplace culture under her leadership was oppressive, bullying and intimidating.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

Sure, that sounds ridiculous for a season about rape, infidelity, mass murder, suicide, and society’s ruthless commodification of those very things.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
In part, Iran’s political system and ruthless crackdown on protest has given it some insulation from the economic destruction imposed by the blockade and sanctions.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is fighting for his job security after a brutal start to the season.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
There’s the brutal heat; the skin destroying UV-rays of that miserable, scorching, eye-blinding sun; the constant allergy/sinusitis issues that NEVER let up; the smothering humidity.

— R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

Growing up under the harsh system of segregation influenced Pillay's interest in human rights and the law.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Growing up under the harsh system of segregation influenced Pillay’s interest in human rights and the law.

— Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But the movie very much belongs to Trinca and Bruni Tedeschi, just as Anna belongs to the merciless stranger.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

The offbeat, cruel cadence of the bit reminded me of classic Update Norm Macdonald.

— Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Now, Germino says her social media presence is all about giving other patients going through the same tough decision an example of someone who’s thriving after the procedure.

— Kara McGrath, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's administration is about to start tough budget negotiations against a backdrop of division and economic turmoil.

— Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026